Acrylic how to

[Texas Taco]

Ok this might be like posting an oil question on a motorcycle forum, no one can agree on anything said about the subject. But here goes anyway.

What is the proper way to work with acrylic or the other plastics. Or is there a good article on how to do it? I have only tried it once and it seemed to go pretty good but I was just lucky it worked as well as it did. It was a pre-drilled blank so I didn't have to worry about that and the turning was a lot different than I am use to.

Point me in the right direction or lay your vast knowledge upon me. I want to learn to turn some different styles/materials and some day hope to have one that turns out as well as the pens I have been looking at that y'all have turned.

 

[JimGo]

Tony,
You question is a little unclear, at least to me. Are you asking about casting acrylic, or simply turning it? If the former, the articles link on the homepage has two great articles on casting your own polyester resin pen blanks. If the later, do a search, especially of the archives, and you'll find lots of opinions, but the general concensus seems to be that:
1) a scraper is a little easier to use on acrylics than a skew, unless it's an oval skew.
2) it is often easier to knock the corners off a square blank with a sander, because this reduces the likelihood of chipping
3) paint the tubes and the inside of the blanks, and use epoxy or polyurethane glue
4) make sure your tools are very sharp before starting
5) take very light cuts - it has a tendency to break (chip), especially near the ends.

That should get you (and the conversation) started.

Best of luck!

 

[Texas Taco]

Turning is what I was looking at. I don't know why I didn't do a search, guess I was in too big a hurry to get out to the shop. I do need to look for a scraper and give that a try. Thanks for the help.

 

[driften]

I turn acrylics all the time with a sharp gauge. Just use light cuts and you might need to slow down the lathe some if you are having problems.

Good luck

 

[TomServo]

In my limited experience with plastics, cutting at slow speed produces the best results - less chipping, and less heat (melting/gumming). Keep your tools SHARP!

 

[lkorn]

I use the same speed for turning just about everything, wood or acrylics. The tool will vary. for wood blanks, I'll use a sharp skew, for plastics I'll switch to a dropped nose scraper. LIGHT CUTS!!!!

 

[ed4copies]

Use the tool with which you are most comfortable.

For years, I used a roughing gouge (1.25"), now I use a skew-VERY different technique, but they both make nice pens.

It is a good idea to sand off the edges of a square blank before you start. It is also a good idea to work the ends from the outside in-helps avoid cracking. And, "chunks" are to be avoided. Material should come off in ribbons, NOT chunks. Vibration, of course, should also be avoided, unless you like the "cordouroy" (sp) look.

ANY tool will work, Patience is important!!!